The Other Side of the Curtain

It was a world of pre-departure cocktails, in-flight spa treatments, and post-arrival shower facilities. There was Fast Track and “Sir, Welcome Back”. Various lofty words, gemstones, and precious metals confirmed my superiority; I was “Envoy”; I was “Sapphire”; I was “Gold”.  Occasionally, the Utopian combination of “Executive Platinum” would announce my arrival in the highest…

The tale of the $1,000 passport

“No, I’m not making it up. I know it sounds incredible, but that really did happen.” Over the years, these words have become a standard conclusion to any story related to my experiences in mid-nineties Moscow. The words are usually greeted by intensely skeptical, almost sympathetic expressions on the face of the listener – as…